ORANGE CITY, Iowa (KTIV) – The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa welcomes cyclists from across the country to the Hawkeye State each year. Scattered among the cyclists from the U.S are also those who travel oceans for the week-long ride.
Among the vendors along the RAGBRAI expo sits a tent highlighting bike tours across Italy.
Mark Vanholland, an Orange City native, has taken several tours with the group overseas. Along the way, he told stories of RAGBRAI.
“We said, hey, if you want to have a bike ride with thousands of people, you need to come to Iowa,” said Vanholland.
That piqued the interest of Fousto Camossi from Italy Bike Tours.
Used to being the tour guide on two wheels, Camossi wanted to experience a new adventure and looked up RAGBRAI.
“Not too much, I want to be a bit surprised. Not to learn everything, and I want to learn, and I want to see what is going to happen day by day,” said Camossi.
VanHolland shared more about RAGBRAI with Italy Bike Tours, and they caught the bug.
“I sent them a video, and they played them at headquarters and the owner said I just put them on a reel to repeat, and all the employees would walk by, and they’d go, ‘ what was that?’” said VanHolland.
Now VanHolland is taking the reins with a tour across Iowa.
“I’m the client and he’s the tour guide!” said Camossi.
Camossi, excited to experience a new form of a bike tour and see Iowa from the perspective of two wheels.
“I’m so excited to ride across Iowa. It’s a different country, different culture. I want to be an Iowan,” said Camossi.
And an Iowan he will be.
For KTIV’s full coverage of RAGBRAI LII, visit KTIV’s website.
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